Political Advice

I’ve writtenaboutpolitics in the past, but it’s been four years since the last big election, and many of my readers weren’t even of voting age at the time.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court handed down a decision to strike down uphold the Affordable Healthcare Act. Of course, in an industry dominated by unions, only myself and one other PA were actually directly affected by the decision.

Not that that stopped anyone from discussing it. The consensus was, as you might expect, that the law was good, and the Court decided rightly. I didn’t hear one word of disagreement. So, I guess it was less of a “discussion” so much as a reaffirmation of everyone’s beliefs.

Except mine, of course. Again, 50% of the people the law affects.

But this post isn’t about me; it’s for young conservatives coming out to Hollywood. Some people will tell you you just shouldn’t talk politics in the office. But for the next few months, that’s going to be impractical. It’s like not talking about the Oscars in January.

Besides, saying something like, “I don’t like to talk about politics in the office” is a dead giveaway that you’re one of the dreaded Republicans (dun dun DUNNNNN).

Instead, find something you and the limousine liberals you work for can agree on. After all, no one is purely liberal or purely conservative. You might be pro-life, but also anti-death penalty. Maybe you think the federal government shouldn’t have a say in whether people grow marijuana in their back yards. Or, like me yesterday, maybe you’d rather ascede to an individual mandate to buy health insurance, rather than let people die in the streets if they don’t have any.

Find a point of agreement with your friends and co-workers across the aisle. Just don’t tell them you disagree with them on everything else.

8 Comments

Yeah, “limousine liberal” is precisely the kind of term tossed around constantly be conservatives that makes me sway from center-left to entirely left. In my area, its a pretty even mix politically… But it’s always safest to just leave those topics alone unless you’re sure that you are talking to like minded people. For instance, I’ll usually assume its safe to joke about the Bachmanns or Sarah Palin, or even Ron Paul or Ralph Nader, in a manner that doesn’t get too close to their ideology but focuses on their personalities. But im not going to talk about Obamacare at work (im for it). I used to think tea partiers were a safe target but I’ve met a few, so I stay away from that even.

I think you’ll find a little more balance below-the-line, where blue collar conservatives — once dubbed the “Reagan Democrats” — have long been alive and well. Although there’s a deep (and in my view, entirely justified) skepticism about the consolidation of corporate power in the Industry and society as a whole, the predominant stance I’ve encountered below decks tilts neither left nor right, but towards a non-ideological pragmatism. Most crew people I’ve talked with just want both sides to work TOGETHER at solving the horrendous problems facing this country (and the world), rather than indulging in the current food-fight of petty bickering, partisan politics, and points-scoring bullshit while the rest of us sink into the quicksand.

That said, I’ve learned the hard way that it’s best to keep my mouth shut about politics on the job — and I couldn’t agree more with Joe’s comment.

I seem to be the only one who works in a republican office. (While I am a far left hippie). The highlight of last season was a racist immigration discussion over lunch. I kept my mouth shut and wanted to bang my head against my desk.

My advice to anyone, but especially conservatives, is that, if you must discuss politics in the office, try not to say racist, sexist, or homophobic shit.

Comments are closed.

Contact TAPA

Do you have a question? A story you'd like to share? Maybe a complaint? Or, do you need help fixing your resume? E-mail me: